SPAIN DOWN AND OUT BUT "TIKI-TAKA" IS NOT DEAD

D. Ray Morton, 19th June 2014.

Sergio Busquets with his head in his hands after missing a sitter in Spain's 2-0 defeat to Chile

Defending world champions Spain were sent tumbling out of the World Cup yesterday evening thanks to a 2-0 defeat against a relentless and energised Chilean side. Goals from Eduardo Vargas and Charles Aránguiz were enough to see off la furia roja which leaves them eliminated and having to face Australia in the Group B "rubber spoon" match. The football world has been shocked and many people have announced this as the death of "tiki-taka", the possession-based style that has seen Spain triumph in the past two European Championships and the 2010 World Cup.

This is not the death of possession football, however. This is the end of an era for a group of great Spanish players. A generation which may not be seen again in a hurry but certainly not the death of a specific playing style. With Carles Puyol, a key defensive figurehead, having retired from the international scene, and a bunch of other main performers such as Iker Casillas, Xavi, Xabi Alonso (and arguably, Andrés Iniesta and Gerard Piqué) going into decline, perhaps it is only natural that this winning cycle should come to an end.

The style entrenched in the Spanish side will not change all of a sudden whether Vicente del Bosque stays on or not. Throughout their youth teams, the same 4-3-3 possession-based football is played. The heirs to the Xavis and Xabi Alonsos will not be that different. A player like Atlético Madrid's Koke, who maybe should have started both games, will come into the team in the build-up to the 2016 Euros and will be expected to blend into the side's philosophy and not rock the boat with a totally different style of play. Perhaps del Bosque hung on to the old guard for too long. How is it that a player like Koke's Atléti team-mate, Gabi, was not even considered despite having the season of his life and winning the Liga BBVA title against all odds. Gabi is no spring chicken at 30 but would he have wilted as easily as, say, Sergio Busquets?

Possession is not dead though. It just needs to adapt. At times this season in the Champions League, Pep Guardiola's attempts to make Bayern Munich the "Barcelona 2008/09 2.0" drew many sighs from viewers. Perhaps that particular brand of possession football is based on having that perfect midfield duo of a Xavi and Iniesta firing on all cylinders with a genius, i.e. Messi, playing ahead of them. Bayern did not have that and ran into trouble when facing top opposition.

Italy's master class of possession against England discussed here demonstrated how important intelligent use of the ball has been, and probably will be, in this World Cup. Their pass accuracy of 93.2% was the highest seen in this competition since 1966. It was not just the heat of Manaus that allowed them that much space either. Croatia hammered Cameroon 4-0 in the same venue last night but only had 51% of the ball. The Italian game has abandoned catenaccio since Cesare Prandelli took over and they may become the new international pass masters for the time being. Legendary Italy centre-back Alessandro Nesta chipped in with his thoughts earlier in the week: "Tiki-taka is perceived as a Catalan invention, but I’ve seen many teams in Italy play tiki-taka style in my career, even before Barcelona" he said. "I remember playing for AC Milan with a midfield composed of Rui Costa, Andrea Pirlo, Clarence Seedorf and Rino Gattuso, where we played this style of possession football. Many people say the Spanish are masters of tiki-taka now, but we arrived first" he continued.

Alessandro Nesta insists that AC Milan played their own version of "tiki-taka" well before Guardiola's Barcelona or Spain from 2008 onwards

So Spain will be scampering home with their tails between their legs but do not expect possession to become unfashionable all of a sudden. With most teams having some weakness or another, maybe it will be the side that keeps the ball, provided enough attacking precision is included, that will be lifting that big gold trophy on July 13th.

ANOTHER CESC SAGA ALBEIT DIFFERENT

D. Ray Morton, 6th June 2014.

Though not a horror signing, it has not been all smiles and sunshine for Fàbregas at Barcelona

Cesc Fàbregas has been the subject of a number of transfer sagas over the past few seasons. In the summer of 2011, Barcelona finally pried him away from Arsenal for £35m plus add-ons amounting to amother £5m. Last summer, speculation mounted that Manchester United were hot on his trail as he only managed to register two steady seasons with Barça, failing to take Camp Nou by storm. After another decent but unspectacular campaign, speculation is mounting about his future again.

The dynamic is slightly different this time, however. Fàbregas has been seen as something of a flop. His addition to Barcelona's squad unsettled the Busquets-Xavi-Iniesta midfield axis and his presence hastened Thiago Alcântara's departure from the club, moving to Bayern Munich in search of more first-team opportunities. Fielding Cesc became more of a problem than a solution. Do you fit him in instead of Xavi or Andrés Iniesta or do you play him in Lionel Messi's false 9 role? Whichever position he was put in, it never seemed as natural as it did at Arsenal.

Spending £40m on an ex-youth player also created an awkward dynamic. It was a vast fortune to spend on a player that the club did away with in the past only to take him back like a prodigal son. Such lavish spending happens at Barça but not for their La Masia contingent. Blending expensive signings with in-house talent has been the club's way, not spending a king's ransom on once homegrown fledglings. One could point to Chelsea's expensive re-signing of Nemanja Matic as a good example of this kind of deal but Roman Abramovich's team are known for their vast consumption and do not have a philosophy or a fanbase that they have to answer to like that of the Catalan clubs'.

New manager Luis Enrique deems Fàbregas surplus to requirements and wants to generate money through sales in order to secure his own transfer targets. I wrote on the interest in Sevilla's Ivan Rakitic lately and recent reports do suggest he is very close to signing for Barcelona, snubbing both Atlético and Real Madrid in the process. They will want to add a defender, another midfielder and an attacker to that therefore Cesc has become a target for Manchester clubs City and United, Chelsea and maybe even old club Arsenal. There seems to be an odd reluctance amongst these clubs to make a move materialise, however, and only Chelsea's José Mourinho has publicly stated he is monitoring the situation despite Fàbregas' possible reluctance to work with a former Real Madrid manager who managed to rub quite a few Catalans the wrong way during his time at the club.

Wherever he ends up, Fàbregas is still a player with plenty left to offer. He must be used in his best role, however, and that is in an advanced midfield role with protective players behind him and a recognised striker ahead of him, not as a deeper lying metronome or as false 9. He does not have the pace to lead the line and does not have the positional discipline to play too deep but he is a fine attacking playmaker. He needs a good World Cup to give his career another kick-start and some fine performances in Brazil could ignite some more aggressive bids for his services.

IVAN RAKITIC IS RED HOT PROPERTY

D. Ray Morton, 2nd June 2014.

Ivan Rakitic was the star of Sevilla's Europa League triumph and was named player of the competition

Sevilla's Ivan Rakitic may be one of European football's hottest properties right now. Having guided his side to Europa League glory, the Croatian international is on the radar of several major clubs in need of a creative midfield presence. Rakitic offers the characteristics of a classic Balkan playmaker in spades. His playing style has been compared to legendary schemers like Zvonimir Boban and Dragan Stojkovic. According to his father, Luka, the top three Spanish clubs of Atlético Madrid, Barcelona and Real Madrid are hot on his trail and hinted that Barça may be his preferred choice should an offer materialise.

His buyout clause comes to about €40m though it is believed that his contract features a reduction of that price were an offer made by a "big club" which could mean reducing his cost to about €25m. With Cesc Fabregas being put up for sale and Xavi now 34 years old, Barcelona will be looking for quality to add to their midfield options. Atlético's Koke may be their number one choice but the Croat would be a fine alternative. Rakitic has a good head on his shoulders, genuinely loves the game and would fit into Barça's possession-based, communal philosophy. This is a guy who owns a minor Swiss club, NK Pajde (Croatian for "Buddies"), as a hobby such is his passion for football.

Many eyes will be on his exploits at this month's World Cup. His Croatian midfield link-up with Luka Modric should keep Brazil on their toes in the tournament's opening game on June 12th. He brings a lot to the table tactically. He can play anywhere across the midfield, in the hole or even as a second striker. He is deadly from long range, retains the ball very well and is highly technical. Last season, in 41 starts, he scored 13 goals and made 12 assists at club level between league and European appearances. At 26 years of age, he is just coming into his prime and, given the right push, can be one of the Europe's best playmakers in the years to come.

Premier League clubs will cast glances at him but there does not seem to be a realistic deal to be made there. Chelsea are already stacked full of attacking midfielders and a manager that distrusts players without defensive priorities as mentioned here in yesterday's article in regards to Eden Hazard. Though Rakitic is versatile and adaptable, he is not exactly a player that excels in the nitty-gritty side of things. Very much an artist as opposed to a destroyer. Manchester City can offer riches but this alone would not interest Rakitic one would think. The allure of a Barcelona or a Real Madrid cannot be matched by Sheik Mansour's wheelbarrows full of cash.

VAN GAAL WILL BRING NECESSARY EGO TO UNITED

D. Ray Morton, 16th May 2014.

Van Gaal will not join Manchester United to win a popularity contest

It has not been made official yet but Manchester United are set to announce outgoing Netherlands national manager Louis van Gaal as their next permanent boss. Interim manager Ryan Giggs is likely to be offered an assistant manager's role but is also likely to be a member of the playing staff for one last season. The move follows what has been a tumultuous season for the Manchester club having seen their status as defending Premier League champions ripped from their grasps and having to suffer the indignity of a seventh-place finish after David Moyes' disastrous reign in charge.

Van Gaal's media handling style is very different to Moyes'. He will not be intimidated by hard questions and prefers to put the interviewer on the spot rather than fall victim like a deer in the headlights as Moyes looked last season. His arrogance is well known but his knowledge of the game is formidable and deserves respect. When he eventually walks into that Old Trafford dressing room for the first time, senior players will be well aware of the fact that van Gaal has swept up many trophies throughout his managerial career.

Though he has had success at Ajax, AZ Alkmaar, Bayern Munich and is in charge of the Dutch national team for a second spell, perhaps United fans will look at his two stints as Barcelona manager to see the best and worst of the man known as the "Iron Tulip". Taking charge of the Catalan club between 1997-2000, van Gaal brought about a return to beautiful possession football which had been lost under previous coach Bobby Robson.

Under his tenure, Barcelona stayed true to their aesthetic playing style although they, somewhat like rivals Real Madrid, decided to splash large amounts of cash at the same time. A drove of former Ajax players were hauled in as well as smart signings like Rivaldo and Luis Figo, two players who went on to win the Balon d'Or largely thanks to their blossoming under van Gaal. Young players were given a chance too. Perhaps the likes of Carles Puyol and Xavi Hernandez may never have become the world class players they became without van Gaal's guiding hand.

Luis Figo became a world renowned superstar under LVG at Barca

There were clashes with big personalities too, however, and do not be surprised if he falls out with a few stars next season. Van Gaal believes in the efforts of the collective, total football where everyone chips in with a shift. United will be expected to play 4-3-3, pressing high up the pitch maintaining a very sharp level of fitness, something Moyes struggled with. Anyone who does not put in the effort will be kicked to the curb. He had notorious clashes with Hristo Stoichkov early on in his Barca reign and later with Rivaldo who he felt had lost his positional discipline which, in turn, hurt the team.

Other, arguably more humble, players have great praise for van Gaal's methods, however, and realising his vision and what he demands are what will benefit United next season. Xavi and Andres Iniesta have nothing but compliments towards the towering Dutchman, two great players known for appreciating the value of teamwork.

Transfer targets have been identified. Luke Shaw is sure to come and van Gaal has named Roma's Kevin Strootman, Dortmund's Mats Hummels and Bayern's Toni Kroos as three players he would like to see the club approach as he takes care of the World Cup where the Netherlands find themselves in a tough group with defending champions Spain, dark horses Chile and, whipping boys but potential banana skin, Australia. Choosing a club captain could also be a conundrum. Van Gaal is a fan of Robin van Persie's and may snub the club's promise to make Wayne Rooney the on-field man in charge.

Roma's Kevin Strootman has been named as a key target for van Gaal's vision of United

So should van Gaal immediately command the respect of the dressing room and secure some key signings, there's no reason why United cannot shoot straight into a title challenge in the coming campaign. LVG, for the most part, dominated La Liga when he was in charge at Barca (apart from that badly-conceived second spell in 2002-03) routinely trumping Madrid to the league title with games to spare. Should United's squad gravitate towards his methods, it's not long before the Old Trafford faithful sees success again. City, Liverpool and Chelsea, watch out!